When he moved to Bellford for his job, I helped pack his car and kept smiling until he vanished around the corner.
Afterward, his phone calls became shorter.
Visits turned into holidays.
Then every second holiday.
I missed him, but I remained proud.Each promotion felt like confirmation that all those difficult years had been worth something.
Jason became a project manager, began wearing tailored shirts, and started using words like equity and leverage.
He married Emily, a kind woman who sent handwritten thank-you notes and never needed reminding about my birthday.
They lived in a small apartment downtown where the rent went up every year.
“We are saving,” Emily told me over Christmas dinner. “Slowly, but we are.”
Jason kept his eyes on his plate.
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